Ballpark outshines Marlins at debut party in Miami

Muhammad Ali participates in pregame ceremony as Marlins open roof to begin new era in downtown ballpark

April 4, 2012|By Craig Davis, Staff Writer

MIAMI — They streamed in like 36,601 kids on Christmas morning and headed for the toys. Opening Night at Marlins Park quickly morphed into something grander.

It was baseball-palooza with South Beach pinache, a smorgasbord for the senses at the coming-out party at the Miami Marlins' funhouse in Little Havana on Wedneday night.

The ballpark made a better first impression than the product on the field as the Marlins fell 4-1 to the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Marlins ownerJeffrey Loria planned the ballpark as a visual feast, and it was an eye-opener for the packed house and a national audience on ESPN.

It began with fans partying for three hours before the first pitch. An explosion that set off the home run celebration ignited pregame festivities, which culminated with an appearance by a frail Muhammad Ali, who accompanied Loria on a cart to deliver the ceremonial first ball aboard a cart to Hanley Ramirez.

A 93-mph fastball from Josh Johnson began the new Marlins era in Miami at 7:15 p.m. Like Charlie Hough's inaugural 74-mph knuckleball 19 years ago, it was a strike.

The first foul ball, a first-inning shot off the bat of Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina into the lower deck bounced off the butterfingered hands of one fan, hit Mary Eaton in the back of the head, and then fell into the seat next to her, where from behind Danny Arner, 34, grabbed it. "That's one of the first balls he ever caught," joked his longtime friend and former Little League teammate Omar Barrera.

As the friend was examining the ball, a representative of the Marlins raced down the aisle, found Arner and said, "We're going to want that ball." A few minutes later the Marlins man came back with a trade: a new ball signed by Johnson and a black bat autographed by Ramirez.

The first fans burst through the gates at 4:05, and within an hour there were thousands on the promenade level getting acquainted with their new playpen.

"My favorite feature is the fact that you can walk 360 [around the perimeter] and see the game from every perspective," said Bruce Robinson, of Palmetto Bay.

Many fans converged to watch batting practice at the Budweiser bar atop the wall in left field, which appears destined to become a popular gathering spot. Ed and Cindy Deprado stared up at the backside of the home run celebration sculpture, the big marlin at the top grinning.

"Look at this thing. It's really big. I hope it goes off a lot today," Ed Deprado said.

The creation of pop artist Red Grooms made its debut at the beginning of the pregame show with plunging marlins triggering splashes of water, flamingos flapping and a gull circling the sun. Crowd reaction was underwhelming.

Earlier, a line formed at the Bobblehead Museum near the main entrance. The display is a hall of fame of players past and present, heads bobbing in unison, thanks to the vibration of the structure.

"They tried to do unique stuff, and I think they pulled it off," said Richard Jackson, of Miami Beach, who said his favorite ballpark feature is the air-conditioning.

It was chilly next to the bobbleheads. Jackson, an original Marlins season-ticket holder, was struck by the contrast to the first Opening Day in April 1993 at then-Joe Robbie Stadium.

"It's a far cry from that really warm spring day to be here in the air-conditioning," he said. "I think it's terrific. It's a wonderful addition to the city. Hopefully the fans will support it."

Richard Kasen, of Plantation, also recalled the original opener against the Dodgers when Hough pitched the Marlins to a 6-3 victory.

"It was best day of my life. I was taking my son to the ballgame. He was 5 years old," Kasen said.

Son A.J. flew in from New York on Wednesday because "I couldn't miss the second inaugural game."

"It reminds me of the Dallas football stadium. That's the ony thing that compares," Richard Kasen said." If anybody is not impreesed by this, they don't get impressed."

Approaching the opener, Marlins President David Samson fretted about details, saying, "I want people to have a great experience. I want them to enjoy their ballpark. It's all about them."

Glitches were inevitable, and not everyone was happy. Mary Rose Farrell said she left her paralegal job in Coral Springs four hours early so she and husband Eddie, who uses a motorized wheelchair, could be there early.

With $219 worth of tickets in hand, Farrell said the couple believed they could find a handicapped space in one of the four parking garages. But instead they met nothing but frustration as police officers waved them on, saying nothing was available to those who had not pre-paid for a spot. The Farrells ended up paying $30 to park their van in a front yard of an apartment building four blocks away.

"We would have paid any amount for a handicapped spot," she said. "If I find out there were spaces that went empty, I'm not coming back."

Bob Burr, 57, was standing on the promenade at 6:37 p.m. when the roof and glass wall behind center field began to slide open, revealing downtown Miami, a nearly full moon hanging low in the eastern sky, and a fresh springtime breeze.

"I had some reservations that people from Broward and Palm Beach counties might not want to come all this way," said Burr, of Pembroke Pines, "and I was one of them. Now I'm thinking about season tickets."

As Burr spoke, a young woman was hanging upside-down, suspended from the roof by a chain and pouring flutes of champagne for $10. On the field a high school band played. Everyone took pictures with their cameras or cell phones.